Starting Over
by SarcasticSymphony
Summary: On the day of their wedding, Ron leaves Hermione, breaking her heart...but rather, she is relieved. Not to fear, there just may be someone there to pick up the pieces. And that someone could be Draco Malfoy. HG/DM. In-Progress.
1. Chapter 1

A new story! I'm so excited, mainly because this has been hanging around in my head for a while and it may be the first long, long fic I actually will attempt to finish. So…..yeah. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own this fandom, fabulous as it is.

Review and tell me what you think?

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Chapter 1: The Proposal

Diagon Alley was packed. Shoppers scurried about their business, not managing to avoid the occasional brush of a shoulder, or accidental impact of a body. Some of them stopped to talk to the friends they glimpsed on their way, and some of them strode quickly to their destination, eyes trained on the ground, never pausing to look up.

It was a fine day, Hermione mused, watching it all. As if she had anything better to do. Currently stuck in a shop selling Quidditch supplies as Ron spoke to the wizard behind the counter, she fidgeted quietly, wishing more than anything to be in Flourish and Blotts which was conveniently opposite.

As she tried to observe the books in the window from afar, she wondered why Ron had took her to Diagon Alley today. Aside from the fact that he had literally dragged her up at the crack of dawn, they were in need of nothing.

He knew that she could easily transfigure one of his socks into literally anything he needed almost as well as he knew the fact that she was a late riser during the weekends. Psh. It was fair to say that Hermione was rather annoyed. It was written all over her face.

Hermione glanced back at Ron, who was gesturing animatedly with his hands as he spoke to the wizard which was smiling and nodding. He didn't bother to look at what she was doing. And he knew that she did not really like Quidditch, even if she hadn't said it outright.

Hermione went to the Quidditch matches during Hogwarts only when called by Harry or Ron, normally preferring to return to the deserted library and do some reading. On the occasions that she did, though, her eyes were usually trained on the Slytherin seeker, a fact that both of her best friends never noticed.

Oh, it didn't really matter. She had harboured a crush on him for most of her teenage years, and it only grew when he matured into the man that he was today, no longer prejudiced and a prat. Suffice to say, she had only ever saw pictures of him in the Daily Prophet articles that reported his many conquests or his successful company, Malfoy Industries after the final battle.

Dating Ron had helped to lessen the crush a little bit, but it still flamed inside her whenever someone spoke of him. She knew it wasn't right to be with one man when her heart clearly belonged to another, but she couldn't help it.

After the initial rush of their relationship, she had realized that she and Ron, well, weren't really suited to each other. Even though she remained faithful to him, her feelings towards him had started to become cold, no longer there.

She didn't like to way he eyed other witches when he thought she wasn't looking, or that he seemed to love fame more than he valued her. She hated that he degraded her to insult her in the best way possible. They constantly argued with each other, and the fact that she was in Diagon Alley this day reinforced the fact that he didn't understand her.

Hermione huffed. What could they be possibly talking about for so long? She decided to take action. She walked over to the chatting pair.

She stood beside Ron and smiled sweetly at the wizard. The wizard glanced at her briefly before continuing to chat with Ron, who hadn't noticed her presence. She tapped her foot against the floor impatiently.

Ron paused to look at her and raise his eyebrows. She scowled angrily at him. He seemed to get the message, anyhow, and straightened up. They said their goodbyes, and Ron winked at the wizard as though they shared a secret.

Hermione didn't have time to think over his mysterious behaviour, though, as Ron was already walking her towards the door. She hissed lowly at him.

"What were you even talking about for so long? Nothing is so important, even if it is about the Chudley Cannons." It would do well for him to remember that she didn't take well to being ignored.

Ron didn't seem to realize his mistake. He spoke back at her angrily. "I actually have important things to do with my many good friends. I'm not like you, not knowing anything but to read and work all day. You wouldn't even have friends if it weren't for Harry and me."

Hermione stopped, rage bubbling up inside her. She wanted to contradict his statement so badly that it hurt. She also wanted to break down and cry, for he had abused a sensitive part of her soul. It was true, she didn't have many friends. She preferred to have a small, close company of people she could trust around her after the Battle of Hogwarts.

But she couldn't do anything in front of the shoppers of Diagon Alley, who whispered and pointed as they went past. Ron smiled smugly at them, then at her. She wanted to slap that smirk right off his ugly face.

As she went to turn into Flourish and Blotts, she was yanked back by the arm. She turned furiously to see Ron's face. She was about to scream at him when he pulled her back into the middle of the street as people started to gather around them.

The unthinkable happened.

Ron got down on one knee, removing a small box from his pocket as he did so. Hermione's rage evaporated completely to be replaced by pure, numb shock as she realized what was happening.

Ron opened the box to reveal a thick gold band with three large rubies on it. Hermione didn't like it at the least.

"Will you marry me, Hermione?"

She flinched away from him as she noticed flashes of cameras around them. The wizard Ron was speaking to for so long inside the shop also held a camera among the many reporters, taking pictures. So this was what they were planning.

"Ron… I don't think-"

"Hermione, please. After all we've been through. I've done so much for you. I love you, Hermione. Marry me, please." Ron said pleadingly. She knew it was all a façade, though. All for the newspapers.

She had tried. What could she do?

"Okay."

Ron got up and slipped the ring on her finger. It was heavy. It left Hermione wondering what she had gotten herself into now.

As she left Diagon Alley amidst the crowd of chasing reporters, she didn't notice the pair of dark silver eyes that were following her every movement from afar.

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Oh, Hermione. His time will come. Next chapter, we will see what transpires!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! I'm so glad you guys liked this fic. With thanks to Ditte3, Danikae, Dancing-Souls, and BlackHeartIce. To the guest who wrote "Vomit Alert", I don't fully understand why you would write that and I hope you can explain it for me. As for Hermione being a moron, I hope that everything will be fully explained in this chapter. If you have questions, you can ask me in the reviews.

I may only update a chapter every week, what with my busy schedule and all, and I'm sorry for leaving you guys hanging for such a long time. As an apology, here is a 'sort of' long chapter! Yay!

Disclaimer: No profit is made from this story, excepting my happiness at seeing you guys' reviews.

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Chapter 2: Five Months Later

Hermione was up to her neck in preparations for the wedding, but she didn't know if she really wanted it at all. At first, when Ron had proposed, she had agreed, just like a fool.

Because she thought she could still love him.

After all his harsh words, their fights and her tears, Hermione felt the bond of friendship underneath. And she didn't want to lose that friendship. She was scared. What if she refused him? Would they still remain friends? Would he keep trying to persuade her? Or would he cut off contact with her completely, shutting her out from his life?

She hoped not. A piece of her heart would just break and never return.

If she had known for certain that they could remain friends if she refused him, she would have done so without a second's regret, but she did not know the Ron now. The Ron she had loved was open and easily readable, and treated her like a queen, and she treated him the same. That was what she had loved best about him. That was what had kept their relationship steady at the beginning.

She thought that, if she married him, they could build something more from the bond they shared. Maybe they could start off by trusting each other, and finally love each other. But the longer time she spent with Ron, she could see that her dreams were never to happen, just a fantasy.

She hardly even saw him anymore. He sometimes just disappeared, never helping with the wedding even thought he was the one who proposed. He returned home late at night citing late Quidditch lessons as his excuse. He sometimes stank of beer, and sometimes he didn't come back.

Hermione tried to ignore the niggling feeling in the back of her mind, and told herself that Ron would never cheat. _He said he loved you. He said it. He loves you._

Hermione brooded as she slipped her professional work robes over her head. She was going to meet with Draco Malfoy today. Yes, Draco Malfoy. It turns out they needed a wedding planner. As if Hermione could handle it all without help. His company dealt with businesses of all kinds, from the shipping of Fire Crabs as pets to wedding planners.

She stared at herself in the mirror. Still the same, maybe a little thinner than before that fateful day in Diagon Alley, and black circles under her eyes. She cast a glamour on herself (she didn't want to seem stressed) before sighing heavily. Hermione couldn't suppress the feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

"Malfoy Industries!" she shouted as the warm green fires of the Floo engulfed her. Nausea crept up her stomach as she spun before throwing her arms out to prevent herself from falling.

She had arrived in- Draco Malfoy's office, albeit not very gracefully.

She stumbled out of the fireplace, dusting off her robes and looking around curiously. A floor-to-ceiling window, complete with comfortable windowseat took up the right wall. Shelves and bookcases took up the rest of the space, and a mahogany desk stood proudly in the middle of the office, sheets and sheets of paperwork stacked neatly on top of it.

It was here that she saw the person she was to meet, and she flushed red at once. Cool and collected as ever, Malfoy sat back in his elegant chair, feet propped up on the table. He was reading a book.

As he seemed not to notice her, she peered curiously at the cover. _The Complete Handbook of Potions._

Ooh, the newest edition. She had to remind herself to buy it sometime this week.

It was not surprising, after all. He was quite adept at potions, coming second to her in class even without Snape's blatant favouritism.

Finally, he looked at her.

A blond eyebrow arched gracefully, and Hermione found herself blushing and her heart skipping as she realized that while she was positively slavering over his book, she was also unconsciously staring at him dreamily. What else she could do when his handsome, finely chiselled figures were within two metres of her was beyond her. She righted herself.

"Malfoy."

"Granger. Please, take a seat."

She sat down stiffly in his comfortable leather chair as he swung his legs off the table and placed the book carefully on the bookshelf nearest him. She tried not to swoon at his actions. Caring for a book, what a turn on.

"So, you're here for a wedding planner for your wedding with the Weasel, am I right, Granger?" he asked, sneering slightly when he uttered Ron's nickname.

"Yes, Malfoy," she said, ignoring the blatant misuse of Ron's surname. "I would prefer if we were more civil to each other, though. All for the purpose of working together smoothly, of course."

"Agreed. To do so, however, you should call me Draco."

"Then I would insist that you call me Hermione."

"Very well, Hermione." She shivered slightly as her name rolled off his tongue. They sat in awkward silence for a while before an uncomfortable Hermione broke it.

"So, I gather that you can provide a wedding planner for me?" she asked.

"Yes. You can have a look at these files and pick which one you would prefer to help you with your wedding," he said, moving a stack of files and placing them in front of her. As she began to flip through them, he leaned over slightly to point out something.

His scent and his closeness to her overwhelmed Hermione, and millions of butterflies started to flutter in her stomach. She blushed slightly as his voice filled her ears, expressing something that she could not possibly hear. Oh, how she hoped that he would lean over and…

"Hello? Granger? Hermione? Are you okay?" A hand waved in front of her, jolting her out of her stupor. Flushing red, she shook her head, embarrassed. "Nothing, nothing, Mal- Draco."

"If you say so." Suddenly, he leaned forward, and there was an almost sincerely worried look in his eyes. Well, she said almost, because she knew how many masks he could put on in a span of about two point seven seconds.

"Has Weasley been treating you right?"

Now, that was certainly unexpected. Why did he want to know? Did he truly care for her, or did he just want to know for his own unscrupulous reasons?

She hoped it wasn't for the latter reason. She responded anyway, to keep up with her image.

"Um, of course! Draco. I accepted his proposal, after all." She laughed weakly.

"I know, Hermione. Just… if he was seen with another witch, it would create a great scandal, right?"

Word after unexpected word fell from his lips, muddling up her mind. She didn't know what to think. She tried hard to believe Ron was faithful to her. Of course he was… no one had any proof, after all.

"What do you mean, Malfoy?" She forced out, trying to banish the tears forming in her eyes.

"I know you know that he isn't being faithful to you. Stop trying to lie to yourself. If you think there isn't proof-"

She couldn't stop the flow of tears anymore. Hot, wet drops trickled down her nose and her cheeks.

A little surprise registered in her muddled mind. Draco Malfoy seemed almost caring, and about to panic. How different from his usual cold, detached manner.

He walked over to her.

"It's okay, Hermione. If you want, you can write me any time you like-"

She stood up suddenly, pushing her chair back. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at him and turned away.

"I think I'll just pick," she blindly flipped through the files, "Veronica. I'm sorry. I just remembered I have somewhere to be."

Hermione rushed to the Floo, barely managed to choke out her flat's address before being engulfed in green flames.

"Hermione, wait-"

She managed to hold herself in as she travelled through the Floo, collapsing into tears just as she tumbled out of her fire. She lay on the floor, despair taking over her thoughts as her tears dampened the cold tiles.

She didn't know how long she lay there, Draco's haunted silver eyes floating in her mind, his words repeating and repeating in her head.

 _"If you think there isn't proof-"_

She heard footsteps. How odd, she didn't notice the door opening.

Voices called her name, but she felt too weak to answer. They would find her eventually.

The voices came closer, and the blurry shapes of Ginny Weasley and Pansy Parkinson swam into view, expressions of shock on their faces.

She vaguely remembered inviting them out to lunch today.

After the war, she and Pansy had become good friends. She liked the witch's sharp wit and dry humour, and her passion for freedom. That was also why she was currently in a relationship with Harry as in Potter. The couple were happy with each other, and Hermione couldn't see why it wouldn't be that way.

However, Ron refused to make friends with any Slytherins, prompting a month long of cold silence between the two good friends, before they finally came to an understanding and held each of their meetings separately.

Ginny was also one of her good friends, and her relationship with Blaise Zabini had been going swimmingly since Pansy introduced them. As expected, Ron didn't approve at all, so Ginny never brought Blaise to her family's infamous Sunday lunches. Pansy, Ginny and Hermione went out together regularly, and had become inseparable as sisters.

Hermione felt herself being helped up onto the sofa, and her head was rested against- was that a pillow or a shoulder? She drifted off into the sweetness of sleep, lulled by her friends' comforting presences.

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Did you guys like it? Please review! Next chapter awaits…


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to Ditte3, arlyetta, Holly and the two guest reviewers for reviewing, and to all my lovely followers. :) Here is chapter three, and everything just sort of goes downhill from here. The next chapter will probably be the botched wedding, and the awaited slaughter of one Ronald Weasley. Hehehe…

This chapter will probably be rather short, and I'm very sorry, arlyetta! I tend to break down my stories into short chapters, because I have not the creativity to expand them. Again, very sorry.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, but J.K. Rowling has some siriusly amazing imagination!

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Hermione's eyes fluttered open, finding herself enshrouded in darkness. She shook her head blearily and pushed her hair back from her face. Light filtered through the curtains, and Hermione blinked and made to stand up.

But when she tried, two heavy somethings- or someones- weighed her down. Oh, it was just Ginny and Pansy. They seemed to have fallen asleep next to her on the sofa.

She slowly started to remember the events that had happened before she had passed out, and she groaned internally. She was starting to get a headache from it all. Hermione carefully pushed the unconscious forms of both her best friends off her, as she had the sudden, urgent need to use the loo.

Hermione successfully managed to pad silently to the loo, and as she took care of business, she thought. The events of the morning swirled around in her mind, and she wondered. Why did Draco bring it up all of a sudden? Did he know something she didn't? Was Ron really- no, he wouldn't, he wouldn't do that. Not when the wedding was so close. Not when he was the one who proposed to her.

She tried to put the matter from her mind, but the suspicion remained at the back of her mind even as she thought of other things. A little bit of Occlumency helped to shield it away.

Hermione remembered that she still had to contact Draco for the wedding planner's information, as she had very stupidly left the other day without even reading the file properly. She didn't even remember the wedding planner's name. What was it again? Vivian? Vanessa? Veronica- yes, definitely. She would have to write to him.

Her mind turned to other matters, such as Draco's behaviour during their meeting. He seemed- sincere. Like he really cared about her, like he really wanted her to stay. Her heart fluttered a little bit as the rarely seen, girly side of Hermione started freaking out over the prospect of his feelings for her, or if he even had any feelings for her at all.

 _No._ It wasn't possible. She crushed her crush of him into tiny little pieces as she thought of all the beautiful, buxom women that were constantly at his beck and call, and compared herself to them. Just because they had half of her brains didn't mean that they weren't as accomplished. She certainly couldn't compete with them in looks and beauty, and looks and beauty was what Draco would admire the most.

Hermione examined the heavy ring on her finger as she singlehandedly shredded her own heart to pieces. The ring seemed much heavier than before, and she had the sudden impulse to tear it from her finger and fling it out the nearest window. Calming such disastrous trains of thought, she flushed, washed her hands and crept out into the living room.

The previously unconscious bodies of Pansy Parkinson and Ginny Weasley were nowhere be seen on the couch, and Hermione perked as she heard voices from the kitchen. Figures that Ginny would drag Pansy off for a snack after an hour of snoozing on the couch.

The fiery, red-haired witch was a self-proclaimed food-lover, and although Pansy, who ate gracefully and only little, often shook her head at Ginny's antics, she was soon infected with Ginny's passion for food. Hermione had to laugh, though, as seeing the two friends bicker playfully over what to eat for dinner amused her to no end.

Hermione made her way to the kitchen, smiling as she saw a large tub of her newly-bought ice-cream and a spoon in Ginny's hands, and Pansy with her little bowl and teaspoon. Both witches looked up as she entered, and gave her comforting smiles. They knew that she had been to see Draco today, and by the events of before, they probably could guess what had happened already. Ginny and Pansy were both extremely quick and smart witches, and they both knew of her crush on Draco. Hermione didn't worry, as she trusted that they could keep a secret, and keep it well.

She collected a bowl and a spoon from the cupboard, and took a seat on one of the spinning chairs before the counter. She held out the bowl, and without a word, Ginny dolloped some ice-cream into it. Whatever happened, she could always depend on ice-cream as her comfort food.

Pansy spun round in her chair and broke the comfortable silence. "So, care to share what happened to you today, Mi?"

Hermione sighed, but felt relieved at the same time to have such caring friends she could share her thoughts with. "Today… I don't even know how to describe it, Pans." She launched into what had happened today at Draco's office, and everything he had said. Shocked expressions appeared on both Ginny and Pansy's faces as she told them of what Draco had hinted at Ron.

After she had finished, Ginny was the one who spoke up first. "Mi, do you think that he might be telling the truth?" Despite Ron being her brother, Ginny had always held unvoiced disapproval of him close to her heart.

Hermione sighed heavily. "How am I supposed to know, Gin? All I know of the man is what he was in Hogwarts, and in the war. Hell, how am I even supposed to trust Ron? I haven't even seen him in two days."

"The Draco I know would not make promises easily unless he meant them, Mi," Pansy said, her eyes glinting. As his friend for many years, it was fitting that she knew Draco well. "I think that you should write to him and ask him about it."

"I second that," Ginny said through a mouthful of ice-cream.

"I'll have to write to him eventually, anyway. I need to get Veronica's information from him." Hermione said. "Maybe I'll ask him about it, but I don't want to."

Pansy and Ginny nodded in understanding and agreement.

Pansy looked at her watch. "Oh dear. I must return to my most humble home to spend time with His Majesty the King." All three of them laughed heartily, as everyone knew that Harry constantly doted lovingly on Pansy.

After sending Pansy home by Floo, Ginny and Hermione stood in the living room.

"Do you want to watch the telly, Gin? I'll come and join you after I write to Draco," Hermione suggested.

"What else can I do when Blaise is on a business trip to New York? Yes I want to watch the…. tally! Be quick with your incessant letter writing, or at least put on a nice movie first," Ginny commanded, brandishing the spoon she still held in her hand.

Hermione chuckled and did as she was told. After fixing the telly for Ginny, she made sure that Ginny was comfortable before leaving for her study.

Hermione fetched a roll of parchment and her favourite eagle-feather quill. She dipped her quill in ink, and pondered over how to address her newest problem. And the fact that she had absolutely no experience in writing a letter to her crush at all. She sighed and began to write.

After twenty minutes of quill scratching against parchment, Hermione looked over her letter appraisingly. The finished product was this:

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Draco,

May I apologize for leaving your office in such an undignified and rude manner this morning. It was certainly uncalled for, and I hope you will forgive me.

I believe that I picked Veronica over the wedding planners we discussed, and due to my hurried leave, I did not manage to retrieve her information. I hope that you can send over her file for me to peruse and fix an agreeable time for an appointment between her and I. If you would do so, I thank you in advance.

As for the other matters we discussed, I would be pleased if we could arrange a meeting and I do hope that you will be able to elaborate on these points. It would also be agreeable to me that you would not enclose these matters to the press as they will certainly construct rumours that may well destroy my personal life. Not to mention the sensational Rita Skeeter.

I hope that you will reply soon.

Yours,

Hermione Granger

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Satisfied, Hermione put down her quill and tied the letter to the owl she and Ron shared. It took off with a hoot, and Hermione headed to the living room for a much needed evening of relaxing in front of the telly with Ginny and ice-cream.

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Did you guys like it? Please review!


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